If The Snakes Don’t Get You, God Will!

Everyone makes mistakes. In fact, we all fail in one way or another each and every day we live. I hate that! It's even worse when your failures affect those around you.

I've come to realize throughout the years that at the core of my being, I really am a people pleaser. I want people to be happy with me. Some may doubt that based on my antics, but nevertheless, it is true. This is also true of my relationship with the Lord. I desperately want to be a "good" Christian and NEVER fail Him in any way. If you know me, please feel free to laugh now because it rarely happens. I am constantly saying and doing stupid things. Regardless, I do possess a deep desire to be pleasing to Him in all that I say and do.

As I said, we all make mistakes. The real problem for me is knowing how to deal with my "shortcomings". What do you do when you cannot seem to do as you should?

With that, I'd like to share with you some thoughts about my own process of transitioning from living as a depressed, guilt-laden failure to a loved and completely accepted son.

If you know me, you know I love to make people laugh. Unfortunately, I possess a very warped sense of humor and consider few topics to be off limits. One outlet I utilize to entertain the public at large is the creation of ridiculous videos. I've made many over the years and I can tell you I really believed each and every one was just brimming with giggles. Occasionally though, someone will let me know that they really didn't enjoy my desperate attempt to fill the world with laughter. Instead, a video of mine produced the exact opposite effect for that person. It completely offended them. As I said, I do have a warped sense of humor, but I can assure you I would never intentionally post anything that I actually believed would seriously offend anyone. I'm not crazy. People pleasing people just don't do that sort of thing. Our highest goal in life is to have each and every person we encounter fall madly in love with us. Yes I realize that is sick, but it's a sickness I live with and it makes me crazy. So, what happens when I do offend someone? I become deeply depressed and immediately begin the process of wallowing in guilt and shame for hurting someone. Did I mean to? Absolutely not, but the reality is I did…and it kills me. Yes, failure sucks!

It's really no different with God. The only real difference is that with God, my failures bring about a far more profound sense of guilt, shame, and my favorite…depression.

Okay, at this point I'll need you to strap in because the following will most likely push you into the realm of complete belief that I am a "bona fied" nut.

Each and every day I go through a completely irrational ritual on my way home from work. There are various neurotic components, but at its core is a review of all the ways in which I failed God and man throughout my day. The ride home is only about fifteen minutes, but it is just long enough to send me spiraling into the quagmire of each of the negative emotional responses listed above…and it is misery! By the time I do get home, I am looking for a cliff to jump off of because I am completely convinced this world would be far better off without Mr. "Funny Britches".

How often did you say you do this Ken? EVERY DAY!

So, I guess a reasonable question to ask at this point would be why? Why in the heck do you do such a thing if you know what it is going to "do" to you? Ahhhhh, a good question indeed and after many clueless years I finally have an answer that I really believe many will relate to.

I "do" it because I am convinced it is the right thing to "do".

You see, I am a Christian, and somewhere along the way on my Christian journey I became convinced of the idea that I must experience profound hurt, crawl on my belly through the mud, and suffer severe mental anguish before I am eligible to receive God's forgiveness and restoration. The whole idea is universal really, and we all know how it works. You do "bad" in this world, you get punished. As a child, I did many foolish things at home and at school. When I got caught, I was punished. That's how it worked. That punishment was generally dealt out by my parents or teachers if it happened at school. The problem is when you're all grown up, and you "do bad", who's going to punish you? Well, I suppose mom or dad could once again break out one of my dad's leather belts of destruction if called upon, but I'm guessing that day has come and gone. So who's left? Who is big and bad enough to put the "uh oh" in a grown man or woman? If you're a Christian (and many non-Christians) that job has been handed over to God. You know, the "Heavenly Father". After all, you always get caught by God. Nothing gets by Him…right? And besides, who is scarier than God? No one that's who! Now, I can tell you, I hated getting punished by my dad. He would whack you with a belt so hard you'd start to sweat. It was scary. Still, as scared as I was of dad whacking me, nothing compares to the unadulterated fear I experience at the prospects of getting whacked by a holy and just God. Just read the Old Testament! He is a real pro at whacking people. That will really give you something to cry about!

So, what do you do if you don't want to get whacked by God (which I most certainly do not)? You "whack" yourself. Here dear friends is where the neuroticism really kicks in. You see, the line of thinking goes something like this:

I did "bad", so I now deserve punishment. I do not want super scary God to whack me, so if I beat myself up just enough and prove to Him how terribly sorry I am for being such an idiot, He might take pity on me and not break my legs.

It gets better.

If you're a fruitcake like me, this whole process not only makes sense, but is absolutely necessary because that is how one comes to terms with sin and learns to avoid it. I sin, I go through an unspecified period of self-deprecating abuse, constantly reminding myself what a loser I am, and then….I'll be better. And if I'm truly fortunate, I will have avoided the "God whacking" in the process. By the way, this whole mess is easily justified if you'll just tell yourself enough times that this is all part of God's chastisement of those He loves.

Now, doesn't that just sound peachy? Nothing like the "I've been set free" Christian life! It really puts gas in my tank to run to and fro shouting the good news of the gospel to all that will listen. NOT!

Finally, the saddest part of this whole mess is that I absolutely know in my heart it is all a lie from Hell (and some pulpits). Yet, for years I have embraced this demented process as representing the heart of God. Like I said, neurotic!

You'd think a guy would eventually catch on that such an approach is not only unbiblical, it also NEVER works. I never get better, the process is never ending, and I live in constant misery, running from a God of my own creation that scares the bejeebers out of me!

So, what now? What in the world do you do with such thinking and how does one go about getting better?

I once heard Steve Brown of "Key Life Ministries" say (and I'm paraphrasing here), "The only way you'll ever get rid of a demon is to look that sucker straight in the eye and keep staring till you're no longer scared". Well I've never actually seen a demon, but I really don't think that is what Steve is saying. I think that he is challenging us to stop and really ponder what it is that is making us believe, speak, and act in ways that are contrary to the truths God has given us. Instead of just blindly accepting all the junk that derails our life, we should be willing to face our "issues" with courage and faith-filled belief that Jesus really came to set us free. I mean, either He came to set us free or He didn't. It isn't easy to go through the process of separating that which is true from the lies. Demons are scary and the lies seem so very true, but we are sons and daughters of the King, and He promises to stand with you while you stare those "suckers" down.

Now the big question: How the heck does this happen? How do we go from living life in a cage to experiencing the sweet freedom Jesus offers? Let's talk about it.

Most of the people here in the South hate snakes and will generally do one of two things when encountering a snake. They will either run screaming like a girl (especially if you are a girl), or grab the nearest implement of death and kill it. Why? Because, somewhere along the way, they took up the belief that snakes are evil and should always be destroyed. Is that reality? Are snakes really evil? Of course not, but like many other animals they will fight back if they feel threatened. So, after hearing enough stories about snakes biting people, most folks assume that it is the goal of each and every snake to seek out humans to bite. And that…is stupidity! Still, it drives most to hate and fear these creatures and seek their destruction. This false belief is based on bad information, yet causes most folks to respond in a way that is senseless. Now, I'm not going to pretend that snakes are my favorite animal. They are not, but I generally do not fear them. I realize they play an important role in nature and here for a reason. How did I escape the ever popular fear induced hatred of snakes?

Here's the key: I sought out the truth, rejected the lie, and stood my ground regardless of what my feelings or people were telling me. Simply put, I replaced the "bad information" with truth.

As many of you know, I am a science teacher. In fifth grade science, we study all sorts of cool stuff including…you guessed it, snakes! Now there's a big difference between science and say reading. Reading presents many different genres including both fiction and non-fiction. In other words, some of the stories we read are true, some not so much. Science is different. In science we work hard to present only those things which are factual. So, as I prepared to teach my students about snakes, I learned that they really are pretty neat creatures and not the slimy killers (they're not slimy…that'd be amphibians) people have made them out to be. That bad information is false regardless of what most folks are feeling, saying, and believing.

So, the question is what does all this mumbo jumbo about snakes have to do with getting "whacked" by God? Everything!

If we see God as some kind of heavenly policeman (a lot of times I do) who is just waiting on us to make a dumb move, it is only natural that we would see every bad thing in life as some kind of punishment dealt out by an angry God. Again, you mess up; you have to pay the price! Act, speak, or think wrong, and you better know it's whacking time! Is this view of God correct? Heck no! Do countless numbers of folks (including me) believe it is despite what God has revealed to us through the scriptures and His Son? Absolutely! Why? Because that is what makes sense, and that is how the world works. Still, none of this kind of thinking is based on truth. It is bad information, and that demon needs to be faced and dealt with. Too many of us (including me) in the church have embraced this faulty view that God is at least part of the time some kind of bipolar, cosmic child abuser. This is a lie from the pit of Hell and must be replaced with truth. So, what is the truth?

If God did not create us just to have someone to slap around, what is my purpose? Why am I here? Who is God and what is He really like? Why am I seeing Him as a child abuser? Is God really for me and not against me? Do I dare to actually believe He loves me?

What is the truth?

Well I suppose I could list an endless number of scriptures here in an attempt to prove that God really is the benevolent, amazingly loving, caring, and compassionate God He claims to be, but I would be guilty of perpetuating the process that got us in such bad shape to start with. That being, people listening to other people instead of finding out who God really is and what He has to say for THEMSELVES! Remember the whole snake analogy; you probably would not fear snakes if others had not instilled that fear in you. It is bad information based on the opinions of others not the facts. One of the greatest tragedies that exists within the church today is that many Christians only know God as revealed to them through the words of others. Everything they hear and live by is second hand information, and unfortunately some of it is just not true.

I will risk telling you that the bible does admonish us to taste and see that the Lord is "GOOD". Have you ever had someone describe how tasty something is that they are eating? No matter how "delicious" you tell me something is, I'll never really understand until I put it in my own mouth. "Tasting" is something you have to experience for yourself, and honestly, the same is true when it comes to really knowing God. It doesn't matter how many people try to convince you of this. In the end, knowing truth and the God of truth, is always personal. People can tell us all day long that the fear, guilt, and shame we feel is not based on truth nor does it represent the heart of the Father towards His kids, but until we (especially me!) spend some time seeking His heart "which is His truth" for ourselves, we will never really get it. We will never know how "tasty" His truth really is.

In closing, I hope that you truly get what I'm trying to say here. I tend to ramble and lose my way at times. If God says He loves us, forgives us, and wants nothing more than to help us, we can believe it! Our opinions and the opinions of others mean nothing. If you are struggling with the thought that God is trying to kill you, or at least make you miserable, let me assure you and remind myself that it is not true. BUT, don't take my word for it. Get a big mouthful of "tasty" truth, stare that demon down, and know that you have the full support of a loving Father who wants nothing more than to lead us all out of that cage of lies. Jesus kicked the door open and set us free over 2000 years ago. He took the keys from the snake, and defanged that lying rascal for good!

And that….is a great place for an "amen"!

May our dear heavenly Father help us all to reject that which is false, hold tightly to that which is true, and trust that He is absolutely a God who stands by what He says.

Why the World Will End In Two Weeks!

Well now, it has been quite a while since I took the time to post any "heresy" to this little blog of mine. So, I decided I would break the silence and once again let my fingers do some talking. As with all my posts, I will not be held responsible for my desecration of the English language. Grammar Nazis be darned!



Today's actual topic: Why Ken Richmond Is "Unmarketable".

Unfortunately, this post has nothing to do with "Why the World Will End in Two Weeks". (I just thought that title was so cool and I liked the sound of it better….sorry I am a deceiver!)



I like youth ministry. I really do. Not only do I enjoy it, I'm fairly good at it. You might say, "Well, aren't we sounding a little prideful today?" Possibly, but truth is truth. God has gifted me in that particular area of ministry and I know it. I like kids (well most of them), and kids generally like me. Am I the best? Nope! Are there others out there just as "gifted" as myself if not more so? I suppose, still I make a pretty darn good youth dude. Some might say, "If that's the case Mr. Awesome, why aren't you out blessing the world with your tremendous gifting?"

That dear friend is a good question, and I intend to answer it. By the way, I love music ministry too, but I'll save that for a different post!

The truth is while I do enjoy "ministry", I do not enjoy much of what we call "doing church". Now before you jump to conclusions and see this as another, "Ken is once again bashing church" session, STOP! It is not that. I am simply attempting to provide an explanation as to why I sit (not so quietly) on the sidelines. I am trying to be transparent and vulnerable here and you should be moved with great emotion at my obvious sincerity and candor.

I realize most people think I'm completely against "church", but I'm not. Actually, I really miss certain aspects of gathering with other believers in an organized fashion especially when it comes to working with kids. I enjoy sharing life with them, hearing their stories, and walking with them through their struggles and victories. I love teaching them truth, mentoring them, and helping them to realize just how crazy in love God is with them. As a matter of fact, I love just about everything dealing with youth ministry. So what's the problem you ask?

The problem comes when "doing church" begins to suck the joy out of what could and should be a thrilling adventure with people I love.

I suppose I could waste keystrokes with some guarded attempts at diplomacy, but I'm just going to cut to the chase here.

The bottom line is I usually do not enjoy a lot of the other "stuff" that comes with the job of working for a church. You know, stuff like attending meetings that have zero to do with anything remotely concerning me, youth ministry, or even Jesus, serving on boring committees, being expected to show up at every non-youth thing going on in the church, and to be honest with you trying to fulfill the all-important "we need lots of kids to make it look like we're a growing church" expectation. It all really gets old, and unfortunately drives many gifted guys and gals right out of ministry altogether.

Add to that my general disdain for the almighty "Sunday Service" (at least in most cases), and you can see there are probably not many churches out there that would want to hitch their youth ministry wagon up to this particular horse.

So has been my experience, and up to this point it has kept me out of the fray.

I think it's sad really, but I cannot imagine any church out there allowing me to just work with the kids, and not be involved in the showy aspects of "doing church" I just don't care about. Oh I've heard an endless number of reasons why they deem my involvement as being "very important", but in the end it really just ends up being all about appearances. Well, if you know me, you know I don't give a rat's rear end about keeping up "appearances", so I sit on the sidelines because most of the time "church" seems to be more about protocol…than people.

Now, if someone could find me a church that will let me work with the kids and their parents, and skip out on the non-youth "stuff" (unless of course it's "stuff" I want to participate in). I just might be persuaded to lock arms with those folks and bless them with my incredibly gifted self (sarcasm…sort of).

Better yet, why not just get some folks together on Sunday morning in a very "you're free to be yourself" manner, celebrate Jesus, testify of His goodness, sing, dance(if that's your thing), and let God do His thing in the midst of His people. Now that sounds good. If you're there, great! If not, no one will bust your chops about it. Wanna wear shorts and flip flops? Go for it! Will there be a "sermon" every Sunday, not sure, but there might be if God lays something on "your" heart. Are there leaders? Yeah, but chances are you couldn't spot them in the crowd. They'd probably be spending most of their time hanging out with, loving on, and serving people.

Oh my, there I go again. Dreaming about something a little outside the box, something that looks and smells a lot like…family.

Anyway, regardless of my little church "wish list", I am more than willing to "lock arms" with people regardless of where they are in this journey. The question is, are they willing to lock arms with a very talented (there's that pride again), but very opinionated man such as myself?

Survey says…. not likely.

Chances are my unsightly, free-spirited baggage will continue to land me a spot…on the bench.

The good news is that I know the owner of the team very well (oh yes I do!), and "by george" if He wants me in the game…I'll be in the game regardless of my shorts, flip flops, or even my over-inflated view of myself!

Oh, and if the world does end in two weeks, don't blame me.

"Welcome To Nowhere" Population…1

(If you're already feeling kind of bummed about life, don't read this.)

There are times I really hate where I am spiritually. I was thinking about it the other day and came up with this analogy.

It's like traveling down the road on a bus with everyone you know. Life feels pretty good and it all seems to make sense in some way. The journey may have some ups and downs, but at least you're moving forward.

The next thing you know, you're being told you need to get off at the next stop. It really doesn't make sense, especially when you realize no one is getting up to exit the bus with you. Still, off you go, all alone into the unknown. Quietly, you watch as the bus pulls away with everyone you know and everything that was familiar, and then…nothing.

Every now and then, someone will stop and offer you a ride, but you never get in. Why? Maybe it's simply fear. I mean, how can you know they are even going in the direction you need to go? Besides, you really don't know yourself where you are or where you're supposed to be. All you know is you were told to get off the bus. But in the end, it's probably more about some half-brained belief that somehow you are where you're supposed to be regardless of how little it seems to make sense. The people that offer you a ride think your nuts for just sitting there. Wouldn't it be better to at least be going somewhere? When they ask you what you're waiting for, you honestly don't even know how to answer. So you just continue to sit, holding on to this ever fading conviction that this is where you are meant to be. It is quiet, it is lonely, and it is frustrating beyond words.

And so I sit at my little bus stop, waiting, wondering, and sadly finding myself caring less and less about any of it.

Did You Mean “church” Or “Church”?

The following is my response to ideas presented in an article by Kevin DeYoung entitled "The Glory of Plodding". To read the article, click the link at the top right by that same name.
Is going "to church" necessary?
Not only is it not necessary, the phrase is not found in the bible at all!
You heard me right! Nowhere and I do mean nowhere will you ever find any of the following phrases in the bible:
"Go to church", "Meet at church", or "Attend church"
I could go on, but I'm guessing you get the point.
Yes, I do know what many of you would say. "Ken, doesn't the bible admonish us to not forsake assembling with the saints?" Yes, it does indeed. I have not, nor will I ever disagree with that. It is scripture, it is true, and it certainly represents the heart of God for His kids.
Now, here's a question for you.
What does that have to do with "admonishing" others to attend a man instituted system of religion and the twisting of a biblical term to mean something completely unbiblical?
Answer: Nothing!
By the way, how many people would it take to fulfill this mandate to "assemble with the saints"? I would encourage you to keep in mind that Jesus said where two or three were gathered in His name, He would be in their midst. If I need a special building for two or three folks to assemble, I suppose I better "assemble" with some loaded saints!
Look folks, I know very well that it is God's desire that we travel this journey of faith with other believers. It's absolutely true that there can be no spiritual Lone Rangers. We need each other just like a body needs its parts to function properly, but let's get real here. There is no way on God's green Earth anyone will ever find ANY biblically, sound support for what American's call "going to church".
I've said this before and I'll say it again. "Church" is always used in the bible as a word that describes "the body of Christ". It is not something you attend. Granted, you may choose to meet with "the Church", but you do not meet "at the church". That use of the word comes solely from the mouths of men not God.
You might be tempted to accuse me of splitting hairs here, but I could probably accuse you (at least those of you who adhere to using the term incorrectly) of doing the same.
Is it wrong to meet with other believers in a building? Of course not! As a matter of fact, if you want to buy a building and use it to meet with other believers, have at it! I personally do not see it as being a good use of what God has given us, but you may and that's your business. My problem is that so many folks use the term "church" in phrases such as loving the "Church" and going to "church" synonymously, when in fact these two uses of the word have very different meanings.
With the phrase "loving the Church", "Church" speaks of "the people" while "going to church" would lead us to believe you are speaking of a place or destination. Again, these are two very different words with very different meanings. You cannot use them synonymously.
Again, I have no problem with the idea of "the Church" loving on each other and meeting together however and wherever they choose. I do have a problem with folks muddying the water with religious jargon based on religious traditions instead of sound biblical doctrine. It confuses the world and serves no purpose other than the manipulation and control God's people.
Oh and by the way Mr. DeYoung, Jesus was indeed "anti-religion", "anti-doctrine" (at least the man contrived junk), and "anti-institutional" (just ask the Pharisees).
So, if you're going to use the term "Church", use it within context of what the bible actually teaches. Otherwise, you might find it wise to say nothing at all.

Lines in the Sand

Do you remember the story in the gospel of John where a "harlot" is brought before Jesus caught in the act of adultery? The people want to stone her, but pause long enough to ask Jesus what he thinks of the situation. If you remember, before Jesus speaks a single word, he begins to draw in the dirt with his finger. I don't know about you, but I've always wondered why Jesus would do such a strange thing. Some say it was a word or phrase that pertained to the situation, others figure he was just "doodling" while gathering his thoughts, but I have a different thought.

I believe He drew…a line.

Metaphorically speaking, to "draw a line in the sand" is to establish a point that shall not be crossed. It is a way of saying, "you may go no further". You see, I believe Jesus was drawing a line in the sand as if to say, "No more!" Jesus knew these people were stiff-necked folks full of religion, void of love, and empty of the life of God. I do believe that line said to all, "Today, this sort of nonsense comes to an end!"

Can I prove it? Heck no, but it's as good of a hypothesis as I've ever heard and I kind of like it!

Today, I too am drawing a line in the sand.

Back in September, I wrote a post entitled, "WARNING: Throwing Rocks Will Get You…Nowhere Good!" Please know that I meant every word of that post but honestly, I just didn't have the "whatever" to actually walk it out at the time. Today, I am reaffirming the commitment I made in that post. I am drawing my own line in the sand and declaring "no more"! By the way, if you are wondering just what I had to say in that post feel free to check it out. If not, cool beans!

Guys, I really wish the "stuff" that junks up our hearts and minds could be easily dealt with, but I suppose it just takes time, a lot of prayer, and a lot of Jesus. Jesus said that He came to set captives free. He did not say it happens instantaneously.

Over the past several weeks, I have come to see more clearly than ever that life is too short and too full of hurt and pain for anyone who names Christ as Savior to be "throwing logs on the fire". In other words, there's more than enough hell-fire strife in the world without me making things worse with hurtful words and mean spirited rhetoric. Honestly, I just don't want to continue to use any part of my life to make things worse for anyone when I could be using my energy and gifts to make things better. The bible says that our witness to the world is our love for each other. If that is the case, my witness has been a poor one at best. For that (and a host of many other things), I am very sorry. I am not your Holy Spirit friends and I do not possess the capacity nor have I been given the right to judge the motives of anyone. And the people said….amen.

With that, I would like to reaffirm my commitment to NEVER AGAIN write a blog post (or Facebook post) that attacks my brothers and sisters in the body of Christ in ANY WAY!

Why? Because I have been completely persuaded by our gracious Lord that we have been called to love each other, support each other, and treat each other as He would love, support, and treat each of us. That means each and every person no strings attached, no conditions.

At the end of the day, we must all carry our hurts and pains to Jesus if we truly hope to be free. No amount of mudslinging will ever undo a bad experience or heal any wound. I should know. Only Jesus can restore us and fill our lives with purpose, hope, and meaning regardless of what anyone has said or done to us. If you are hurt, take it to Jesus. If you want justice, take it to Jesus. If you are angry, bitter, or full of unforgiveness (if that's really a word), take it to Jesus. Hit back, and you'll end up with a black eye every single time. Again, I should know!

He still sets captives free and only He has the strength to turn that key in the lock and open the prison door. Trust me; I'm speaking from experience here!

So for all of you who have been concerned, offended, or completely baffled by my posts over the past couple of years, please rejoice for I am finished being "ugly"! I will continue to write (if God allows), but I will only write that which will edify my church family. Anything past that is indeed pointless.

_______________________(MY LINE IN THE SAND)_____________________

“Satan” Claus? Well…He Does Wear A Red Suit!

For years now, I've heard many of my Christian brothers and ……well mainly just the brothers rattle on and on about the "evils" of allowing children to believe in Santa. In an article called "Christians and Santa Claus", Pastor Andrew B. Ray shares the following with us:

"If we agree that Santa Claus is a made up character and that for years we have been spreading the lie to children that he is real and we believe that Satan is the father of this lie then it kind of makes you wonder if it really is a coincidence or not. Bible students have known and proven that Satan is the greatest counterfeit of the Lord Jesus Christ, so it would only make sense for Satan to create such a character to do his work."

He goes on to say the following:

"We have the fact that Santa Claus is not real.   I know that most adults realize this but adults have told children that Santa is real. It is a Lie!

Oh you devilish "Satan" Claus devotees! Feeling a little….guilty yet? Nah, me either.

Look, I know Santa Claus probably isn't real (notice I said probably…..you never know), and yes technically we are telling our children a lie, but dog gone it, I like Santa! He's nice, does good stuff, and cares a lot about people. Of course I do realize he is portrayed in many various ways (some of which are less than benevolent), but that's not his fault! In the end, we would all have to agree that at the core of his character he is really good fellow real or not so real!

Still, there are plenty of upstanding folks out there that do not like the idea of having Santa around at Christmas.

I do wonder if people like Pastor Ray have ever exchanged a shiny new quarter for one of their kid's teeth courtesy of the Tooth Fairy. How about telling a kid that their recently deceased pet is now frolicking through the golden fields of Heaven, isn't that a lie? Can you biblically prove that statement as being factual? Then of course there are those "other" situations like when Uncle Joe dies and we tell the kids he's in Heaven, but in reality we know Uncle Joe was a real creepo and only mentioned the name of Jesus when he was honked off at someone. Is that a lie? What about Christmas? Is it wrong to celebrate the pagan holiday known as Christmas?

"Pagan" you say? Indeed, I say!

You see whether you want to deal with it or not, we all in some way or another take part in "stuff" that is rooted in good old-fashioned heresy and deception. Unfortunately, that would include the wonderful holiday known as Christmas.

With that, I would like to share with you (at least for those "Pastor Ray" types), the truth behind the origins of the Christmas holiday.

For starters, let's take a peek at how Christmas came to be. It all began when Roman pagans first introduced the holiday of Saturnalia, a week long period of lawlessness celebrated between December 17-25.  During this period, Roman courts were closed, and Roman law dictated that no one could be punished for damaging property or injuring people during the weeklong celebration.  The festival began when Roman authorities chose "an enemy of the Roman people" to represent the "Lord of Misrule."  Each Roman community selected a victim whom they forced to indulge in food and other physical pleasures throughout the week.  At the festival's conclusion, December 25^th, Roman authorities believed they were destroying the forces of darkness by brutally murdering this innocent man or woman. The ancient Greek writer poet and historian Lucian (in his dialogue entitled Saturnalia) describes the festival's observance with the following:

"In addition to human sacrifice, he mentions these customs: widespread intoxication; going from house to house while singing naked (that sounds fun!); rape and other sexual license; and consuming human-shaped biscuits." (Which by the way are still produced in some English and most German bakeries during the Christmas season).

In the 4^th century CE, Christianity imported the Saturnalia festival hoping to take the pagan masses in with it.  Christian leaders succeeded in converting to Christianity large numbers of pagans by promising them that they could continue to celebrate the Saturnalia as Christians.  The problem was that there was nothing very "Christian" about Saturnalia. To remedy this, these Christian leaders named Saturnalia's concluding day, December 25^th, to be Jesus' birthday and "VOILA!" Christmas is born.

And it doesn't end there! How about Christmas trees?

Well, just as early Christians recruited Roman pagans by associating Christmas with the Saturnalia, so too worshippers of the "Asheira" cult and its offshoots were recruited when the Church sanctioned the use of "Christmas Trees". Pagans had long worshipped trees in the forest, or brought them into their homes and decorated them, and this observance was adopted and painted with a nice little touch of "Christian veneer" by the Church.

Christmas presents?

In pre-Christian Rome, the emperors compelled their most despised citizens to bring offerings and gifts during the Saturnalia (in December) and Kalends (in January).  Later, this ritual expanded to include gift-giving among the people.  The Catholic Church gave this custom a "Christian flavor" by giving it a makeover and touted it as being a supposed gift-giving act of Saint Nicholas.

I could go on, but I think you most likely get my point. The truth is that we all are guilty of promoting the "lie of Christmas" in one way or another. Even our annual church Christmas plays are chock full of half-truths and misconstrued facts (i.e., the wise men). Yet, rarely does anyone dare question these heinous forms of deception. Why? Well, I suppose the reasons are many, but it could be that most of us just don't see any of this as being a big deal. We know we love God, we love His precious son, and we believe that honoring God in our hearts is far more important than picking apart historical facts and forgotten traditions of long lost cultures.

Frankly, I just couldn't care less about all that stuff and I'd guess most of you don't either! In 1^st Samuel 16, God tells us that "man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart", and that's good enough for me!

So, to all you "Pastor Ray types" out there, I would implore you to give it a rest. Yes, you got it right on one point, but you missed the bigger picture. That of course being that our gracious God most likely isn't offended by our pagan trees, presents, and Christmas plays full of deplorable fallacies. No, I'd dare say His heart simply looks for other hearts that long to love, worship and adore all that He is and appreciate all that He has done in our lives.

So rock on Sata…..I mean Santa Claus! And when you fly over the abode of the good "Pastor Ray", try not to think poorly of him. After all, I'd say being on the naughty list for writing "mean stuff"…is punishment enough!

PS – If perhaps you awaken Christmas Eve to find a guy in a red suit poking around your house, try not to panic, unless of course he happens to be carrying a pitch fork!

Peace to you all and may you all have a very Merry Christmas!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20 Percent…And I Feel Fine!

The following is a list of a few popular Christian charities and how they spend their money. By the way, the administrative category would include all staff salaries.

Angel Tree Prison Ministries:

Programs: 67%  Fund Raising: 20%  Administrative: 13%

Compassion International:

Programs: 82%  Fund Raising: 10%  Administrative: 8% 

HOPE International:

Programs: 79%  Fund Raising: 14%  Administrative: 7%

Salvation Army:

Programs: 84%  Fund Raising: 1%  Administrative: 15% 

Samaritans Purse:

Programs: 89%  Fund Raising: 6%  Administrative: 5% 

 

Looks pretty good right? Most of these organizations spend the majority of their budgets on helping people. Some obviously do a little better job than others, but all are doing a great job.

With that in mind, consider the following:

A recent survey conducted by "Christianity Today", found that the average church spends less than 20% of its total budget on ministry that directly assists others. The survey was based on the responses of almost 1200 churches of various denominations. The overwhelmingly largest portion of these churches' budgets went towards paying the salaries of their staff with the pastors' salaries comprising most of that category.

In fact over 70% of most churches' budgets are allocated to cover staff "compensation" and facilities costs. Typically, most charities spend between 5 and 13% of their total expenditure on salaries.
Throw in supplies, denominational "fees", and the all-important "other" category and you will burn up another 12 to 15 percent of the total budget.
What's left over? Not much.

I find that to be….disturbing. Actually, shouldn't we all find that a little bit disturbing?

Would we be quite so "charitable" to any other organization knowing full well that so little of what we give goes to actually helping others? I don't think so.

I can hear it now, "Ken it's different with church. That money goes to provide for the needs of our pastor and staff!" Well, I can assure you that were it the CEO of any charity out there receiving almost half the total budget as a salary, there would be an uproar of monumental proportions. Yet, for some strange reason we are more than willing to embrace such a mindset within the body of Christ. Why? Because that's what "church" is. That's how it works! You give the money, you trust the "leaders" to allocate the dough correctly, and all is well.

Here's a thought: Maybe "church" and how we "do" it…needs an overhaul!

Maybe we need to "rethink" what it means to be salt and light in the world and how that is actually "fleshed out" in the lives of those around us.

By the way, please don't say it's all about reaching "the lost" for Christ. We all know that the research proves that the majority of new church membership comes from "the sheep" shifting pens! It does not come from new conversions. That is an illusion.

In closing, I would like to say that I do know of a church and a pastor in the Dalton area that is truly managing God's money in a God honoring way. This particular church uses almost 100% of its budget to help people. This pastor takes nothing and wants nothing in the way of compensation. He works just like the rest of us. How can he do that? The "members" of that church understand what it really means to be the body of Christ. You know, more than 20% doing the work!

Hey, there's that number again….strange!

By the way, if your church is doing better, God bless ya!

At the end of the day, we can all "do better", but that will only happen when we get real about who we are and what we're doing, or not doing…me included!